


Silent Despair

by Tarlan



Series: Silent World [19]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-08-19
Updated: 2003-08-19
Packaged: 2017-10-20 13:43:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/213381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lady Killers</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silent Despair

Chris sighed in satisfaction as his flopped down beside his exhausted lover; still tingling all over in the aftermath of their lovemaking. He leaned up on one elbow, a ghost of a smile curling his lips as one hand trailed possessively over the curve of a firm ass cheek, tracing the contour down into the valley where he had been buried only moments before. His fingers skimmed across the slick wetness of his spent seed oozing from the loosened body.

A crackle from a log on the small campfire drew his eyes away from the vision lying beside him and he stared deep into the leaping flames.

Nights like this were a rarity. Too often they had to snatch moments of pleasure together as the opportunity arose, sometimes at great risk of discovery as they made the best out of an hour or so at most. But tonight was different. Tonight they had earned this brief respite in the aftermath of three weeks of hell.

It had all started when the stagecoach came racing into town with its horses wide-eyed and lathered up. Normally the arrival of the stage would not have caused that much of a stir except to see who might be on-board, or discover what news it brought from faraway places. However, this time it arrived with its wood damaged by bullet holes, the man who rode shotgun missing, its driver fatally wounded... and with its single passenger lying dead inside.

Chris organized a posse immediately, consisting of all but one of the Seven. He left Nathan behind to tend to the dying driver in the hope that he could give them more than just the name 'Spivak', and to send a message to the Judge. The Judge was close by as he was planing to meet up with an old friend coming in on this coach. Unfortunately, the man lying dead with a bullet through the chest was that friend.

They backtracked to where the stage had been attacked; finding the dead shotgun rider lying near the track where he had fallen, but it was obvious that a fair-sized gang had robbed it. Vin managed to track the gang some miles but then the gang had split up into four or five different directions. Following the easiest of the trails, they came to a cantina on the edge of the territory, bordering Mexico. The four robbers holed up at the cantina hadn't stood a chance against six of the 'Los Magnificos' and only one survived the shoot-out.

Pud Garber had tried to make a run for it but Josiah had been lying in wait, dishing out divine retribution in the form of a rifle butt that sent Garber flying backwards off his horse.

By the time they got back to town with Garber, the Judge had already shown up...

****

**Three weeks earlier:**

Vin leaned against the wall beside the closed door to the Grain Exchange, his pose seeming indolent to those who did not know him well enough. However, it was a pose he had perfected over the years that had misled many a bounty into believing he was an easy target. He kept his eyes on the street, watching for anything out of the usual as the trial of Pud Garber came to a conclusion inside. There had never been any doubt of the outcome though, and the gallows had already been constructed for the hanging.

A heavy sack of flour, weighing about the same as a man, dropped through the trap door and fell to the end of the short rope, dangling limply. The sight and sound caught at Vin's attention and, instinctively, his hand went to his throat as he imagined the rope still waiting for him back in Tascosa. He rubbed his throat then noticed JD doing the same and, silently, he wondered if that was out of fear for him too. JD's impatience flared as if he felt stupid for displaying that momentary weakness, and he peered in through the glass of the door.

"Wonder what could be taking so long?"

"Judge's got to make sure he's hanging the right man."

Vin had no doubts at all on that score but he couldn't fault the Judge for taking the extra time to make certain they hadn't hauled in some innocent. He just hoped he'd be as lucky as Garber and find such a Judge waiting for him in Tascosa should he ever be unfortunate enough to end up back there.

Casey came running across, young eyes full of excitement. Vin took no part in the exchange between her and JD over the hanging, not wanting to come between the pair. However, he couldn't help but wonder if Casey would be so all fired up with hanging fever if it had been him standing before the Judge awaiting sentence. Before his own neck was at stake, Vin hadn't been all that bothered but now the thought of getting all excited over seeing a man's neck stretched seemed ghoulish to him.

He had to sigh when Casey stormed off, affronted that JD would suggest taking her to a haystack instead of the hanging. However, neither of them had time to dwell on that as the doors opened and the occupants filed out. JD picked up the rifle balanced on top of the barrel next to the door as Garber came out with Chris flanking him on the left. He saw Chris reach out to grasp JD's elbow drawing him back slightly to give Chris more room to maneuver should Garber try anything, then Vin caught Chris's eye momentarily as Garber and the Judge exchanged a few last words.

"Take an IOU?"

The cryptic remark brought a frown to Vin's face but the sound of galloping horses drew his head around in the direction Garber was looking. His eyes widened as he saw the charging horses bearing down upon one of the town's ladies who seemed oblivious to the danger she was in. As he darted forward, intent on reaching her before the horses could trample her, he heard Chris shout and could only assume that Chris would ensure the Judge got to safety. Vin gave his own yell as he ran forward across the street.

"Get out of the way!"

He shoved hard against the woman, pushing her to safety, and he cried out as a horse hit him hard, throwing him heavily into the hitching rail, which broke under the impact. A flare of white hot agony ripped through his chest as he hit the ground and yet he could hear everything around him so clearly, every individual gun shot, every yell, with a clarity that amazed even himself. He heard the report of Chris's gun coming from the Grain Exchange and saw a rider fall, but then Vin noticed that Garber was getting away. Ignoring the pain in his chest, Vin raised his mare's leg and aimed at the escaping prisoner, cutting him down... and then it was all over as the surviving gang members rode out of town, their rescue attempt foiled with even greater losses on their side.

Vin heard one last gunshot as the sound of galloping horses receded, and saw the last gang member fall but he didn't care where that final shot had come from. Suddenly, he heard his name as Nathan dropped down beside him.

"I'm busted up good, Nathan." He cried out in pain as Nathan helped him to his unsteady feet, feeling Ezra's support on his left side.

"Probably a couple of cracked ribs."

"I reckon." He gritted his teeth against the pain, hoping that was all he'd suffered, and gratefully accepted Nathan's strong arm as he wrapped his own around his painful ribs.

"Okay. Easy, easy."

"You all right, Vin?"

Vin saw an angry but strangely embarrassed look cross JD's slightly swollen face and realized JD was probably blaming himself for what had happened here. He'd been on edge, trying to prove himself, ever since the accidental death of Annie Nechaus but Vin could not muster up the energy to deal with JD's needs right now, not when he had needs of his own.

"Never better," he replied, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice but, instead of solicitude, JD accepted his words at face value.

"I'm going after them."

He rushed off, heading for the livery where Yosemite was probably already saddling up the horses. Vin heard the frustration in Nathan's voice as he turned to Ezra.

"Make sure he don't fall off his horse."

Vin knew Ezra had no love of riding the dusty trail so it was a positive sign of the growing friendship between the two that Ezra made no comment. He merely handed Vin his mare's leg back to him and then rushed off after JD. Vin tried not to lean too heavily on Nathan as the healer helped him across the street to his clinic, but he raised his eyes towards the dark figure striding out beside the Judge. He watched as Chris walked up to the felled man and the two boyish looking bounty hunters standing over him.

He caught Chris's eye, and read the silent anguish there, knowing how hard it had to be for Chris to stand by and watch while Nathan assisted him. If it had been Chris injured then Vin would have felt the same helplessness, hating the fact that he couldn't rush to his lover's side but it just wasn't worth the risk with the Judge standing only a few feet away. Perhaps if he had been more seriously injured, or shot, then it might have seemed more acceptable, but not over a few busted ribs.

Vin grimaced as he climbed the stairs to Nathan's clinic, and then he accepted Nathan's help to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"You be all right while I check out that other man?"

"Yeah."

"Be back real soon so don't go doing anything you ain't supposed to be doing while I'm gone."

Vin nodded as Nathan hurried off, knowing the healer would be back as fast as he could to tend to his ribs. He stretched, and gasped as the pain radiated through him.

"Figure that must be something I ain't supposed to be doing," he mumbled to himself as the pain slowly eased off once more.

****

Chris eyed the two lady bounty hunters with distrust, hiding a groan of dismay as Buck reacted towards the women with his predictable enthusiasm for those of the fairer sex, no matter how they dressed or what occupation they took. Nathan had come over to check on the man, hunkering down beside him to check the bullet wound in the man's side so Chris had to assume that Vin's injury was not life threatening. If it had been otherwise then Chris knew this piece of dirt lying on the ground at his feet would have been left to bleed to death in preference to treating Vin first.

Still, he wished he'd been able to check on Vin for himself but having the Judge standing at his shoulder made that an unwise move. He couldn't afford to let the Judge focus his keen eye on the relationship between him and Vin, knowing the man was astute enough to put two and two together and come out with an answer that neither Chris nor Vin could afford. In truth, Chris had no idea how the man would react if he ever did suspect that he was having an unnatural relationship with Vin Tanner.

He snorted softly. Unnatural to whom? For Chris, being with Vin was as natural as breathing.

He watched as the dark-haired sister called Mattie wandered off in the direction of the saloon, then he turned his attention back to Kate.

"So I wanna question Kirkland."

The Judge answered. "We'll take care of this. Maybe he'll help us find Spivak."

"Kirkland's mine. So is Spivak."

Her attitude did little to endear her to Chris and his sixth sense kicked in hard as he saw a glint in her eye that told him that there was something more going on here than just two bounty hunters looking for a reward.

Since the false Marshall Yates he had met most newcomers with a certain amount of distrust, wondering if they had come for the bounty on Vin's head... and he had come to loathe bounty hunters in particular. There was always the fear that they might recognize Vin from his wanted poster even if he had not been the intended prey. Five hundred dollars, dead or alive, was a very big temptation for anyone, let alone a bounty hunter.

However, there was something else that kicked at his senses that went far beyond his usual distrust of anyone hunting bounties. It angered him that he couldn't explain his unease to someone like Buck who could only see the sweetness in a woman, but Chris knew he'd would prefer to have these two ladies as far away from him, Vin and the town as quickly as possible.

They were trouble, especially the one called Mattie.

"Said we'll take care of it. You'll get your money." And then you can clear out of here, he added silently.

"You know it might not be a bad idea to let her have a go at it. I mean, I know I'd like to talk to a lady more than I would you any day, so no offense."

Chris wasn't certain whom that comment was aimed at; him or the Judge, especially as he knew he was acting a little hostile towards these women, but it was the Judge who answered. Unfortunately, it was not the answer Chris hoped to hear. He would have far preferred to hear the Judge telling them to collect their hundred dollar bounty for Kirkland and move on, but that wasn't to be. The knot of unease tightened in his gut as he watched Kate turn and walk away.

"A lady? I wonder."

"I'll let you know."

Chris shook his head as Buck followed Kate, hoping Buck wasn't going to be a big part of the trouble he could feel coming. He offered to give Nathan a hand in getting Kirkland up to the clinic where Nathan could tend to the man's gunshot wound, and saw a small smile flicker at the corners of Nathan's mouth. Chris didn't need to be a mind reader to know what Nathan was thinking... that it would give Chris an excuse to check up on Vin. He sighed, wondering how long he and Vin could continue to deceive their closest associates. Buck already knew about the relationship he had with Vin, and he suspected that Ezra knew there was more than just friendship between them too, but he dreaded to think how any of the others might take to learning the truth.

Would Josiah see it as a great sin and bring the wrath of God down upon them? Would JD be shocked out of his young mind and blurt out their secret to all and sundry? And what of Nathan? There were times when he could swear Nathan knew of their secret relationship but Chris didn't want to broach the subject in case he was wrong. He didn't want to risk losing this man's friendship; it meant too much to both him and Vin. The same applied to Josiah, Ezra... and JD too. The Seven were the closest both he and Vin had of family in this world, and he suspected the same applied to the others too. Why else had they stuck together, risking their lives for a mere dollar a day?

Grabbing Kirkland by one arm while Nathan grabbed the other, they hauled the injured man to his feet, ignoring his complaints as they half-supported, half-manhandled him towards the clinic and up the stairs. On entering the room, Chris's eyes went straight to Vin's bright blue, easily reading the pain Vin was trying to conceal as he rose from the bed and settled into the nearby chair.

They dropped Kirkland onto the bed and Chris chained the man's arms so he couldn't cause any trouble. The bullet had gone right through so Nathan cleaned both entry and exit wound, wadding both with freshly boiled cloth before binding the bandages in place.

While he worked, Chris looked at Vin and found gentle reassurance in his lover's eyes. He helped Vin remove his heavy buckskin jacket, gritting his own teeth in sympathy for the pain Vin could not hide. His fingers tingled in remembrance of removing Vin's shirt and undershirt on other more pleasurable occasions, the pads brushing against warm skin as he slowly revealed the muscular chest that was sparsely covered in light brown curls. One nipple stood proud, as if seeking a lover's caress but Chris knew it was out of pain rather than pleasure. Still, he wished they were alone so he could play with that nipple, recalling how sensitive Vin's body was to his touch. He licked suddenly dry lips as his eyes lowered to the mottled bruising that had already spread across Vin's left side.

"I can take it from here, Chris. Expect you got things to discuss with the Judge."

"Yeah... the Judge. Better not keep him waiting any longer."

Chris gave Vin a curt nod but his eyes said everything that he could not say aloud. He accepted the silent affirmation that Vin was all right and then strode away, closing the door firmly behind him, but he paused at the bottom of the stairs, deep in thought. When he looked back up he could see Kate striding along the main street towards the Clinic. He waited, watching her carefully as she approached. She gave him a tight smile and he moved aside with a mock bow of his head. As she brushed passed Chris sighed, knowing she intended to take advantage of the Judge's offer to try and get Kirkland to talk.

Chris heard movement on the walkway and looked up at the sound of familiar voices.

"Now, Vin, you're gonna have to take it real easy for a while."

"Got no plans to do any bronco busting"

He smirked at Vin's response knowing that, given a say in the matter, the only riding he'd allow Vin while those ribs healed would not be on a horse. He weaved a small fantasy in his mind as he thought of Vin, naked and wanting, writhing above him in ecstasy as he rode Chris into that wonderful moment of oblivion.

The sound of Kate's voice broke through. "Kirkland awake?"

"You got a one-track mind, don't you?"

Chris sighed again; realizing that Kate wasn't the only one with a one-track mind though he knew he would far prefer to be on his track than on hers.

"The girl's as gritty as eggs rolled in sand."

Nathan had escorted Vin halfway down the stairs before he noticed Chris hovering at the bottom.

"Thought you had to go see the Judge."

"He can wait."

"Well, seeing's how you're here, you can help Vin to his wagon. Don't trust that girl as far as I could pick her up and throw her."

Nathan tore back up the stairs while Chris fell into step beside Vin. They worked their way slowly down the street but Vin carried on past where he had left his wagon, and Chris could see from the determined look on his face that he had no intention of getting any rest. They stopped and looked back in bemusement as Casey ran past, barely managing a quick, "You all right, Vin?" in passing. Vin steered them to the saloon where Josiah, Ezra and the Judge were standing outside looking a little ill at ease.

"Trouble?"

"Not for us though I cannot say the same for Mr. Dunne at this moment," said Ezra wryly as he gazed towards the livery. They watched as Casey stepped inside and then came running out almost immediately.

"What just happened there?" Chris raised a hand, forestalling any response. "No, I don't think I wanna know."

He pushed aside the batwing doors holding one back as Vin entered and he watched as Vin carefully eased himself down into a chair at their usual table near the back of the saloon. The Judge, Josiah and Ezra filed back in behind them and, with a quick nod of his head, Chris had a bottle of whiskey and several glasses brought over. Buck arrived with an unhappy looking JD soon after.

For the next hour they sat talking quietly of the day's events as Nathan joined them after being relieved of looking after Kirkland by Josiah. Chris could read the disappointment in the Judge's eyes as they dropped upon Vin from time to time and he knew Travis was regretting Vin's condition as much for the loss of his tracking skills as for the injury itself.

Chris knew this stage robbery was personal.

Travis had spoken very little of Marcus McNeil, his long-time friend who had been gunned down in cold blood by one of Del Spivak's gang, but Chris could read the sorrow in the Judge's expression. Nathan had looked over McNeil's body and told the Judge he'd been shot at close range, standing maybe only a few feet away from his murderer at the time.

Unfortunately, the driver had not lived long enough to give them anything more than a single name; Spivak, the leader of the gang. Travis had hoped to glean more information out of Garber before he hanged but Garber had refused to talk -- at the time. A bullet from Vin's gun as he made to escape ended any last minute confessions Garber might have made as he stood on the gallows with a noose around his neck.

With so little to go on Chris was not surprised that Travis had readily given in to Buck's suggestion of letting Kate question Kirkland. But that didn't mean he had to like it though.

Travis stood up suddenly. "I figure Miss Kate has had enough time to question Kirkland. Time I asked after the results."

"I'll go with you, if you don't mind the company?"

Chris watched as Buck followed Travis out of the saloon and then he turned back and took another sip of whiskey. When he looked up he could see the increasing lines of pain around Vin's eyes that even the whiskey could not numb. Eventually, Vin rose unsteadily to his feet, bid everyone goodbye and headed slowly for the door. Nathan started to rise as well but Chris knew the man could use a little respite from watching over the injured -- and dying.

"Stay awhile, Nathan. I'll make sure Vin gets to his wagon safely."

He found Vin waiting just outside with one arm bound in a pristine white sling while the other was wrapped around his sore ribs.

"You okay?"

They walked slowly along the street, this time heading for Vin's wagon.

"No... but I will be. Getting a little stiff sitting there. Figured I needed to get my head down for a few hours."

"Nathan give you any of that foul smelling liniment he's so fond of?"

"Yeah."

"Want me to rub it in for you?" He saw Vin's blue eyes soften with gratitude. "And don't you reckon you'd be better off in a bed rather than in that hard wagon tonight?"

"You making an offer, Cowboy?"

Chris grinned, and maneuvered Vin towards the Boarding House and the room he used there, instead.

****

Vin groaned as Chris worked the liniment very carefully into his bruised flesh. He could see Chris wince every time he flinched away from those gentle hands but, damn, it hurt so bad. The smell of the liniment seemed overpowering in the small room, bringing tears to both their eyes but giving Vin a good excuse for pretending his tears weren't out of pain.

"It's done."

Vin sighed in relief as Chris put down the small tin, watching as the agile fingers replaced the lid. He saw Chris take a seat beside the bed and he reached out to the grasp one hand, curling his fingers around their slim counterparts.

"Thanks."

Chris smiled and closed his other hand over their entwined fingers, trapping Vin's hand between his for a moment, and then he pulled free.

"Why don't you get some rest now. I'll go check on Kirkland and make arrangements with the others. Figure we'll be riding soon after dawn."

Vin nodded, feeling the weight of the day upon him now that he was lying in Chris's comfortable bed. He wished he could ask Chris to join him but he knew it wouldn't be wise... and not just because the Judge was in town as they'd willingly taken that risk once or twice in the past. In truth, his ribs hurt with every breath he took and he didn't want to aggravate the situation any further should he or Chris move in the night.

He accepted the draft made up of Nathan's special herbs, drinking it quickly and grimacing at the awful taste. Chris took back the mug and placed it on the side table; his hand reaching back to caress Vin's face before he headed for the door.

Vin closed his eyes after Chris closed the door behind him, and fell asleep in moments as the herbs worked their magic.

****

Chris spent a while checking through the town and ensuring Kirkland was still secure, and then he walked over to the saloon. Night had fallen and inside it was almost as dark with just a few lamps casting an orange glow about the room. He went straight to the bar and asked for a beer, sipping slowly at the contents. Kate and her sister entered moments later, taking up a place at the bar just five or six feet away. He eyed them cautiously, his skin still prickling with unease as the younger sister knocked back a whiskey. He took another sip of his beer but felt the heat of eyes upon him, turning his head to meet Kate's eyes.

A drunk chose that moment to make insinuating remarks to Mattie, and Chris tightened his lips as Kate had to bundle her hotheaded sister out of the saloon before she caused trouble. In that moment, Chris knew that most of his unease came from Mattie. He'd seen a lot of hotheads in his time, and some people might have called *him* one in his youth, but there was far more to Mattie than just being high-spirited. There was the coldness in her eye of a natural born killer, and it was this distinct lack of conscience that fed his doubts for her sanity.

He didn't have long to dwell on this as Buck came up on one side of him, with the Judge on the other.

"Tough customers, those two."

Chris assumed the Judge was referring to Kate and Mattie, and Buck's next words took away any doubt.

"Oh, I suspect there's something nice and warm beneath it all."

"I wouldn't count on it," Chris added though his words were meant more for Mattie than for Kate. Kate was an anomaly, but it was obvious that she was the levelheaded one looking out for her sister.

"And speaking of the ladies... anyone else here worried about them going after Spivak's gang alone? Might get themselves killed."

"I think Buck's concerns are valid," added the Judge.

"Buck's only concern is getting in their britches," Chris added wryly, and Buck made no attempt to refute his words. He had seen the way Buck had been eyeing up Kate since the women came to town. He couldn't blame him but, for once, he wished Buck would think with the head on his shoulders rather than the one tucked inside his pants. There was something wrong about these two women, some hidden agenda that went beyond adding another bounty to their name and pocket. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew these two women were trouble and he didn't want anyone putting too much trust or faith in them to help bring in Del Spivak.

"Two people, men or women, can't take on Spivak's whole gang... and not a chance in hell I'm gonna let them get away again. I want Del Spivak caught and hanged."

Chris turned at the coldness in Travis's voice, and eyes as hard as flint gave him an order that he felt honor bound to acknowledge. He nodded once, understanding that the Judge was not looking for Frontier Justice -- a rope thrown over a tree branch in some deserted place. He wanted the person responsible for the murder of his friend caught alive; wanting them to stand before him in a court of law so, once proved, he could mete out Territorial Justice and have them hanged for their crime -- in front of him. He didn't want to have any doubt in his mind that he had seen justice done for Marcus McNeil and for Charlotte, the widow left behind.

Chris could understand that. This was what he had wanted for Sarah and Adam, and it was what he had been denied when Fowler walked back into the burning livery rather than face the hangman's noose. Worse was that Fowler had died without revealing who had paid him to murder his wife and child. That person was still out there having, so far, eluded justice for their crime.

It occurred to Chris that the Judge had been in a similar position to him once. His own son, Steven, had been murdered with no clues pointing to a guilty party until Chris and the others had managed to unravel the mystery from the mind of a small child. Travis had seen justice meted out for his son. He had seen the murderer hang but, after almost four years, Chris had begun to despair that he would never be given that same satisfaction.

He swallowed the last of the beer and set down the empty glass.

"Gonna turn in. Might have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow." He turned to Buck. "You, Josiah and JD better be saddled up and ready to ride too 'cause I don't think them... ladies... are going to wait around for us."

"Sounds fine by me."

Buck grinned, stroking his mustache thoughtfully, and Chris could see that the idea of a long ride sent no dismay through his oldest friend purely because they would be following those two women. He shook his head in exasperation and pushed away from the bar, wondering how comfortable the floor would be in his room tonight as he thought of Vin fast asleep in his bed.

****

Vin slept fitfully through most of the night, moaning whenever he turned and pulled on his aching ribs. He opened his eyes to see the gray light of dawn sneaking between the rough edges of the drapes and illuminating the clean but spartan room. He groaned softly as he eased his battered body up the bed a little, and then he caught sight of the long figure, still wreathed in dark shadows, lying on the floor.

Grey light reflected back golden from the tousled head, and Vin watched in hazy pleasure as the growing light found the sleeping face. Blond lashes fluttered, slackened lips pursed and the heavy lids opened to reveal soft green eyes that focused instantly upon the bed and its occupant.

Chris pushed up into a seated position and rubbed his hand over his sleepy face.

"You okay, Vin?"

"You could've bedded down in my wagon. Would have been a mite comfier than the floor."

"Yeah... but then I wouldn't have heard you call out if you needed me."

"Damn, Larabee. Times like this I wonder how you could have got such a mean reputation. You're just a big softie 'neath it all."

Chris accepted the teasing good-naturedly, feeling just a little embarrassed at being caught out like this. He had fully intended on leaving just before dawn... before Vin woke and found him sleeping on the floor close by. It was too late now, and Chris knew he ought to get moving right away as he had no idea how early Kate and Mattie would set out. He just hoped the other men were ready too.

As he looked towards the window, realizing that it was the dawn that had awoken him, Chris gave silent thanks that he'd had the good sense to ask Yosemite to get the horses ready. He'd discovered Yosemite was an early riser from past experience.

"How about we go wake up Inez and ask her to get some breakfast cooked for all of us?"

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Vin grinned softly at Chris's embarrassment at being caught out by Vin *and* oversleeping, but he decided that now was not the time to tease his lover. Instead, he allowed Chris to help him dress and then ease his arm into the sling Nathan had made for him.

When they reached the saloon they found Inez bustling around and realized that they were not the only ones to have thought of her. The same idea had occurred to Buck and Josiah too and they were seated at a table close to the door while Inez served up a hearty breakfast. Vin dropped into the seat next to Josiah and reached out to snag a piece of Buck's corn bread, almost getting his hand stabbed by Buck's fork in retaliation.

Inez laughed, and Vin was glad some one was enjoying the day so far. He dropped his hat onto the table behind as he dug into the runny eggs Inez set down before him, mopping up the yellow yolk with a piece of bread. Beside him, Chris ate just as hungrily but then JD arrived to say he had just seen Mattie and Kate in the street outside.

Vin sighed as the others pushed away from the table and headed for the livery. He took a few minutes longer for himself, polishing off the remains of his breakfast and then grabbing hold of some of the chewy bacon Josiah had left on his plate. With a soft groan, Vin stood up, holding his ribs as tight as he dared. He made his way outside and watched as Mattie and Kate finished readying their horses.

He grinned slyly as he noticed the look of frustration on Kate's face when Chris, Buck, Josiah and JD rode up beside them.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked in annoyance

"A little hunting party with you, darling," came Buck's quick response.

"I told you, Kirkland didn't say nothing about Del Spivak."

"Suit yourself. We'll just follow you." Chris gave a slightly menacing grin.

Vin could see from his expression that Chris hadn't believe a word Kate said and looking at the two women, Vin couldn't help but agree. He prided himself on being a good read of people, and both these women spelled trouble. Kate, in particular, had a shifty-eyed look that spoke of someone with something important to hide, while Mattie had the kind of eyes that said she would kill a man without batting an eyelid in remorse. Of course, Vin also knew that part of his distrust of bounty hunters came from having a price on his own head.

The sound of the doors opening caught at Vin's attention and he grinned when he saw Ezra step out onto the boardwalk, knowing how much the man hated mornings. Ezra came to stand beside him and, as Kate and her sister started out of town, Chris came over.

"Spivak came for Garber. He could come for Kirkland."

Vin nodded, still chewing on a piece of Josiah's leftover bacon so Ezra answered for the both of them.

"We're ready for him."

The green eyes flickered across from Ezra to Vin, and in that moment of silent communication, Vin could see the concern Chris felt at leaving only the three of them behind to watch over the town. He knew that most of that concern was for him because of his injury and he tried to give silent reassurance even as he raised his good arm to wave them off.

"Watch your back."

Chris and the others turned away, heading out after the disappearing women and leaving Vin alone with Ezra. The unease that had filled him ever since the stagecoach came hurtling into town came back full force as he watched his lover ride away. He hated not being there to watch Chris's back in person and could only be grateful that Buck and Josiah were riding with Chris this time around. Despite their laid-back attitudes, he trusted both of them implicitly. In time he knew he would come to trust JD just as much but JD still had a little too much of that youthful impulsiveness.

Still, Vin was a little surprised that Chris had taken Buck along considering Buck's lack of distrust of Kate and Mattie. Knowing Chris's protective streak, he'd expected Chris to take the less trusting Ezra along and leave Buck watching over the town -- and him. In a way, it revealed the growing trust Chris had in Ezra that he would leave the town -- and his injured lover -- in the gambler's hands. Of course, there was still Nathan too, who could always be counted upon to keep Ezra on the straight and narrow.

It was more likely that Chris had taken Buck along to keep a watch over JD who still felt he had something to prove to the rest of them after Annie's death.

As if sensing the depth of Vin's thoughts, Ezra's eyes took on a wicked glint and he reached out to sharply tap Vin on his shoulder, knocking his arm against his sore ribs.

"Come on, Vin."

Vin gasped at the flare of pain and swiped back at Ezra, just missing the man as he darted away with an evil snicker. They headed back into the saloon to where Inez had put on another pot of coffee and some more breakfast.

Vin had his fill of breakfast and would have sat longer to let it settle in his stomach but, all too soon, he found he was getting stiffer and sorer from remaining too still. He decided to loosen up his abused ribs and muscles by taking a walk around the town.

He greeted Yosemite warmly and continued on past the livery until the muffled sound of sobbing caught at his attention. Vin eased open the door and stepped inside; a flicker of movement drawing his eyes up to the hayloft.

"You all right, Casey?"

She looked down at him with red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes.

"What would a man want from a woman... who happens to be a female bounty hunter?"

Vin raised his eyebrows, having had a slightly similar thought in the past though it was one he doubted he would ever share. What would a man want with another man who happened to be a scruffy looking bounty hunter? Vin knew he was selling himself short though. He knew he had a lot to offer Chris and, in return, Chris had a lot to offer him.

"Depends on the man."

"What if this man is JD?"

Casey settled an intense gaze upon him, leaving Vin to wonder why she should be so concerned about those two women, especially since they had ridden out of town and would, most likely, never come back this way again. At least, that's what he hoped. He took off his hat and scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Well... could have nothing to do with the lady bounty hunter at all. Could be he's just sowing his wild oats."

"Sowing his oats?"

"Right."

"Sowing his oats?!" Casey's voice raised an octave in disbelief, and Vin began to regret his choice of wording.

"Oh, that--that's just a saying."

"Well, guess what? I got oats, too."

"I'm sure you do."

"Yeah! And you know what? I'm gonna sow some. Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do."

She climbed down the loft ladder, stalking towards him with a predatory glint in her eye that would have filled him with excitement had it been Chris. But this was Casey; Nettie's only niece, and JD's girl.

"Now, now, now hold on there, Casey--"

"Starting right now. With you."

"With me?!" He hated the cowardly squeak that came into his voice but, for once in his life, Vin was completely unsure what to do. He liked Casey; like her a lot, but in a sisterly sort of way. Not like this.

She pushed him backwards, and he gasped at the pain that radiated through his chest.

"Yeah, go! Come on."

"No..." Vin felt the wall of the livery behind him and realized he had run out of space to run as Casey came forward relentlessly. "No!" He looked about wildly, hoping for some divine intervention as her small hands reached for him. He only wanted one person in this world to touch him like that; wanted only Chris's hands and lips to worship his body. Thoughts of Chris washed away all the panic, hardening his eyes and tightening his jaw.

"No."

Vin saw the effect of that final _no_ upon Casey; saw it reach her when nothing else had. He hated to be the one who put the hurt into her young eyes but he had chosen to be with Chris. Chris was the only one he wanted.

"Fine. You ain't interested in my oats? I'll find someone who is."

"Casey!" Vin watched as she stormed away from him and out of the livery. "Aw, hell." He raced off after her, feeling obliged to make sure she didn't do anything stupid with anyone else, and he was surprised when she headed straight for the saloon.

He stopped just on the other side of the batwing doors to see Ezra sitting at his favorite table shuffling a deck of cards. Ezra had looked up at Casey's abrupt entrance and, for once, Vin could read the wariness in the green eyes.

"You sure look handsome today, Ezra."

"Why, thank you, Casey."

"Fact, I always thought you were the handsomest of all the Seven."

Vin smirked as Ezra visibly preened at the unexpected compliment. "And I always thought you were a very perceptive young lady."

"Ummm, you think I'm pretty?"

"As a picture." Ezra raised his glass as a toast to Casey, taking a sip.

"Good, 'cause I was wondering if you wanted to go to the livery stable with me, sow some wild oats."

Her words caught him completely off guard, and he spewed the mouthful of the drink he'd just taken, coughing and spluttering momentarily while trying to daub at the embarrassing mess he had made. Vin sniggered, enjoying some payback for Ezra's wicked slap on his shoulder earlier. Ezra must have heard him for he looked beyond Casey, spotting him hiding behind the door, his eyes begging for a little help but Vin merely looked on with a wicked smile of his own.

"Uh, my darling girl!"

"If you're worried about JD shooting you or something, it doesn't matter. Him and me are through. Come on."

"I-I... I'm, uh, sorry to hear that, but, unfortunately, that does not relieve me of my... obligation."

"What obligation?"

Vin widened his eyes, cocking his head to let Ezra know that he was just as interested in hearing about this obligation. He saw the green eyes narrow and wondered if he was going to get some further retribution from Ezra at a later date. Until now he'd not realized how much fun it would be teasing Ezra.

"To the, uh, the--the... the _brotherhood_... of man. Uh, you see there's an unspoken rule which states that one must observe a waiting period before... before... courting a friend's former paramour."

"I'll bet that waiting period would be about two minutes, if you wanted."

Casey picked up Ezra's half-full glass and threw the contents into his face, and then she stormed away as the second rejection sunk in. She shoved open the batwing door quite viciously, crushing Vin behind it, and he cried out softly in pain. Once she had passed he looked across at the drenched man.

"Well done, Ezra."

"What just happened there?"

Vin shook his head and raced off after Casey once more, feeling an almost brotherly need to make sure no one took up an offer that Casey would regret soon after. Fortunately, two rejections in a row had dampened some of that enthusiasm and she retreated, instead, to Mrs. Potter's store where she had another good cry on Gloria Potter's shoulder. Vin winced as he heard her curse JD... and all men, but he knew the storm would pass as soon as JD figured out a way to make it right between them again.

Feeling extremely tired after all this activity, he headed back towards Chris's room, deciding to have a lie down. Mrs. Jenkins called to him as he slowly made his way up the stairs.

"Mr. Tanner? Would you like me to bring you something? Some broth perhaps?"

"Thank you kindly, ma'am, but I figured on just resting these ribs awhile."

"Well... there'll be chicken broth waiting downstairs should you change your mind."

"Thank you."

Vin touched the brim of his hat, grateful that he'd used Chris's room before when he was ailing or when the weather was particularly bad. It meant she found nothing unusual in him going there now.

Inside Chris's room it was relatively cool and he dropped down onto the firm mattress, stopping only to discard his hat and gun belt. He lay his head down on the lumpy pillow, inhaling deeply to capture the scent of his lover in the used bed linen. With a smile of contentment, as if he felt Chris's nearness through the scent left behind, Vin closed his eyes and fell into sleep instantly.

He awoke with a start, surprised to find half the day had passed. He stumbled to his feet, gritting his teeth at the unexpected jarring of his cracked ribs, and made his way back downstairs. Mrs. Jenkins made good on her word, insisting he sat down and setting a bowl of thick chicken broth before him. It only took a few spoonfuls to make him realize how hungry he was, and he ate quickly, more than grateful when Mrs. Jenkins refilled the bowl.

"Least I can do for a hero, Mr. Tanner."

Vin frowned, not truly understanding her words but thanking her for her kindness. He left the boarding house and started down the street, heading back towards the saloon where he expected to find Ezra. Partway along, he felt the last warmth of a slowly setting sun upon his face and, after a moment's hesitation, Vin decided he would far prefer to bask in that warmth than hide away in a dusty saloon. He leaned up against the wall, passing time with a friendly farmer who'd come into town to purchase a few stores and who was eagerly waiting for his wife to finish gossiping with Mrs. Potter so he could get home.

Suddenly, the sound of a galloping horse caught at him, and he recognized the gray racing into town against the waning light. Buck started yelling and Vin reacted instantly to the distress in Buck's voice as he called for Nathan. Someone was hurt, and Vin felt his heart contract in fear as, for one moment, he imagined it was Chris.

"JD's been hurt bad! Hey, Nathan! Nathan!"

Vin raced into the street, reaching for but not drawing his mare's leg, arriving beside the Gray in time to see Nathan grab JD, drawing him from his horse. Buck leaped down and took JD's legs and, together, they hurried away leaving Vin feeling more useless than ever as he cursed his cracked ribs.

He caught at Casey as she tried to race after Nathan and Buck.

"JD!"

"He's all right. He's in good hands now."

She turned in his arms, staring up at him with eyes full of horror and despair, and with tears streaking down her pretty face.

"What have I done? I wished him harm."

"Now, don't start talking like that."

Casey buried her head against Vin and, despite the pain, he tried to comfort her as best he could as he slowly led her towards Nathan's clinic. He held onto her as they reached the top of the stairs. Ezra came racing up and stared at the closed door for a moment, glad he and Nathan had escorted Kirkland to the jail house earlier.

Buck came out of Nathan's room moments later, his hands and clothing splattered in JD's blood. He stood for a moment, staring from one person to the next, and then he hurried away.

Night closed in fast but Casey refused to leave despite Vin's protests. As they waited, Vin turned concerned eyes on Buck, who had returned in clean clothing. He had never seen the man look so devastated, with eyes darting from the street to the closed door in silent despair. Buck was murmuring softly to himself, berating his stupidity in trusting those women and, slowly, it dawned on both Vin and Ezra that Mattie had been the one to gun JD down.

Eventually, Vin's injuries forced him to leave Casey with Buck and Ezra for company, and he made his way back to Chris's room, heavy of heart. Nights were short at this time of year though he suspected this one would seem like an eternity to both Buck and Casey.

Lying back on the comfortable, familiar bed, Vin finally found some rest, awakening abruptly at quiet movement in the room.

"Chris?"

"Yeah."

"When did you get back?"

"About an hour ago."

"You get her?"

"Yeah. We got her."

"Don't think Buck's taking it so well."

Chris snorted softly. "No. He ain't."

"Any word on JD?"

"Nothing good so far. Nathan's still working on him."

"What the hell happened?"

Chris went over to the window and pulled back the drape, looking out over the town beyond. It would be dawn in a couple of hours and, silently, he hoped JD would live to see the sun rise. He thought back to that morning when they had followed those two female bounty hunters from the town...

****

**Earlier that day:**

They had pulled up for a while so Mattie could reset her saddle though Chris had an idea that it was more of an excuse for a quick discussion on how they could lose their unwanted company. He could feel the tension coming off both women in waves, and he knew it was having the four men riding close by that had caused it.

But why?

He still had a gut feeling that he couldn't trust either of these women--and Mattie in particular. Of course it could all have come down to money. Perhaps they believed that he and the others would cheat them out of the bounties on Spivak's gang, and on Del Spivak, if they didn't do this alone. Truth be told, Chris didn't care who got the bounty for those men. The money was immaterial. He'd made a promise to the Judge to bring Del Spivak back to face trial, and that was the only reason he was out here.

Given a choice, Chris knew he would have stayed in town to watch over Vin, hating the thought of Vin being incapacitated and unable to defend himself should any more bounty hunters show up.

But some sixth sense told him that collecting bounties, and worrying over Vin wasn't his real concern. He didn't trust these women, and that put him, Buck, Josiah and JD in danger. He urged his horse up beside Kate.

"When we come up on Spivak, I want you and your sister to stay back."

"Why don't you?"

Mattie gave a belligerent response and Chris could see her fingers itching to draw on him though Chris knew she'd be in for a rude awakening if she did. He didn't doubt that he could best her in a fast draw if it came down to it.

"We can handle ourselves," added Kate.

"Don't doubt it," Chris watched as Kate and Mattie brushed past him, his eyes narrowing as another wave of distrust flowed over him, and he added more softly, "But it ain't you I'm worried about."

"Why don't you ease up on them?"

Chris looked across at Buck in exasperation. Had nothing he had said to Buck since those women arrived in town sunk in? His instincts were yelling out not to trust them and Buck had always shared similar gut feelings in the past. What had changed that?

"Buck, just 'cause they're women, that don't mean you can trust them."

It was hard to believe that Buck had lived this long and had not seen the all-too-human side of women that was little different from men. He thought about some of the women he had met in his time; safecrackers, working girls robbing, and even murdering their drunken clients... Ella Gaines.

Now, why had he thought of Ella after all this time?

He'd never met anyone as exciting as Ella before he arrived in the dust bowl of a town where she was born. At first it had been good... no... it had been better than good. She did the most amazing things to him but, gradually, he noticed a dark side to her character borne out of an unhealthy possessiveness.

There came a point when he could not look at another person--male or female--without her jealousy rearing its ugly head. He still held some regret that he chose to leave her without even saying goodbye but it had seemed the best choice for both of them at the time. He'd met Buck in the very next town he came across. Strange, but he hadn't really thought of Ella in years until he came to this town, and not since he recognized the possessiveness in Vin's blue eyes -- except nothing about Vin was unhealthy apart from the bounty on his lover's head. Still, he wondered if Ella had mellowed over the years, or if she had found someone who could fulfill her needs, giving her all the attention she craved.

Chris frowned at a sudden thought. Ella had dark eyes, and he recalled the way they would spark in anger if he so much as glanced at another woman. Mattie had those same dark eyes and with a similar hardness of expression. Perhaps this was why he felt uneasy near her.

They came across Spivak's camp soon after and Chris realized from the outset that they were outnumbered at least two to one--not counting the women as he was convinced they were on no one's side but their own. He climbed down from his horse and took a look at the small campsite below, then moved back to where the others were waiting.

"There are eight of them down there. There could be more on watch." Chris looked to his oldest and his newest friend. "Buck and JD, go that way." Then he looked at the Stokes sister's. "You two take a position here. Josiah can come with me."

Chris hurried off and Josiah followed on behind, covering Chris as he moved to a better position behind the trunk of a fallen tree. Spivak's men started to panic, firing wildly so it was easy for Chris to pick off one or two. The rest raced for their horses as Buck took up position lower down the slope from Chris.

"Chris, should we go after them?" Josiah looked poised to race for his horse.

Chris pursed his lips as he considered chasing them down right away, and then he noticed that only the three of them were present. He had told JD to stay with Buck before the firing started and he felt a coil of tension in his gut, wondering why Buck was now alone.

"Where's JD?

"He's back with the girls."

Chris frowned, knowing JD would not have elected to go back to where they had left Kate and Mattie. Buck must have sent him back, probably out of some misguided notion that he was protecting both the ladies and JD that way. Looking up, Chris saw a similar frown of concern cross Josiah's face and, in that moment, he knew the ex-preacher had the same doubts about the sisters.

"All right, let's get back there. We'll catch up with them later."

A single gunshot, muffled by the surrounding trees, caught their attention and they moved towards the sound, spreading out to cover more ground.

"Chris, it's JD!" Chris turned at the sound of Buck's voice behind him. "I found him!"

He came running right away, knowing from the strained tone that there was trouble, and he reached the clearing around the same time as Josiah. Chris froze for a moment as he saw JD lying on the ground, seeing Buck's bandanna pressed tight against JD's gut. JD's frightened voice was already weak as the kid looked up at Buck in seeming disbelief.

"Oh, Buck, oh. Oh, she shot me. Buck, oh, she shot me. Mattie shot me, Buck. Nice job it was."

Chris clenched his jaw as JD's words reverberated inside his head: _Mattie shot me_. Every sense had told him not to trust those pair but he had muted his instinctive dislike of them in the mistaken belief that the knowledge would be enough to keep his men safe. He cursed his own stupidity in not listening more closely to that inner voice.

Josiah fetched the horses and Chris kept pressure on the gunshot wound while Buck mounted up. When Buck was ready, Chris and Josiah heaved JD onto the back of another horse and then Chris took across the reins to JD's mount, handing them to Buck.

Buck leaned over in the saddle, but there was no sign of the affable man that most people knew. Chris had never seen such anger and hatred vying with despair on his friend's face before.

"Go after them, Chris. Gun them down if you have to, but just get them."

He nodded once, giving Buck a silent promise to do whatever was necessary to bring them to justice, even if that meant making them the first women he ever gunned down.

"Hyah, come on!"

Buck slapped the reins down hard and raced off in one direction with JD while Chris and Josiah ran to their horses and headed off in another.

Chris knew that Mattie and Kate had a good head start on them, but he had a better knowledge of the terrain so he took a wild gamble that they would blindly follow the valleys towards Mexico. Chris urged his horse up the slope of one steep hill with Josiah following, and then they raced down the other side, leaning over their horses' necks to increase their speed. At the top of the next ridge, Chris grinned maliciously as he spotted the two women far below. He and Josiah thundered along the ridge and then down into the small copse, splitting up as they set their running trap.

Riding out from the underbrush, straight into the path of their galloping horses, Chris forced them to pull up sharply.

"That's far enough, ladies."

"Get out of our way." Kate yelled angrily at him, her hand edging towards her gun.

"Now I never shot a woman before, but I'd love for you to give me a reason."

He heard Mattie drawing her gun but Kate lay between them, and then Josiah was there with the hammer of his gun clicking back in warning moments before his words warned Mattie to lower her gun.

"Now, that'd be really bad luck."

"Kate?"

"It's gonna be all right."

"I don't think so," replied Chris coldly, and while Josiah covered him, he bound their wrists securely, not wanting to take any chances this time. Chris picked up the reins for Kate's horse while Josiah took Mattie's and then they turned and headed back to town.

On the way, Chris thought about JD, wondering if they would be trying Mattie for his murder come dawn. Night fell quickly, plunging them into darkness until moon rise but Chris pressed on relentlessly. He knew this land well, had crossed it plenty of times both alone and with the others... though mostly with Vin.

It was past midnight by the time they reached the town, and Chris was not surprised to find Buck standing on the boardwalk just beneath Nathan's clinic. Chris glanced at him as he passed by with Kate in tow but Buck raised no hand or word in greeting. In the light from the street fires, he could see the anger still riding across Buck's face as Buck turned to stare balefully at the women.

Chris rode straight to the jail house, climbed down and dragged Kate from her horse. He manhandled her inside and pushed her into an empty cell. Josiah ensured that Mattie followed her inside, and then Chris leaned in close as he started to swing shut the cell door.

"You better start talking about your involvement with Del Spivak."

The door clanged shut and Chris took a lot of pleasure in locking it and removing the key. Kate's eyes sparked with anger and she spoke, heatedly.

"I got nothing to say to you."

Josiah leaned in, his voice as emotionless as his expression. "You better think about something, 'Cause that money we found on you came off a robbery where people were killed."

"Hey, the money was mine. It had nothing to do--"

"Mattie!"

"Oh, it was your money, huh? It must mean you were involved in that stagecoach robbery." Chris leaned back in, eyeing Mattie with disdain. "Nah, you're not tough enough. What do you think, Josiah, you think she's tough enough to be involved in something like that?"

"Not from this side of the bars."

"You want to know how tough I am?"

"Leave her alone!"

Chris gave them both a menacing grin. "I'll leave her alone. Of course I'll be the one that's got to cut her down after they hang her."

"Hang?"

"Well, what-- Kate, what does he mean, hang? Nobody ever said anything about hanging. Kate, I can't hang."

Chris sneered at them as he walked away, hearing the realization in their voices. He made a silent promise that he'd be the one to put the noose around their pretty necks if JD died... though he had a feeling he would have to fight Buck for the privilege if that was the case.

When he reached the livery he found Buck standing exactly where they had last seen him, and Chris found his eyes flickering up towards the soft light spilling from a single room above. He didn't doubt that Nathan was doing everything within his power to keep JD with them, but memories of Annie Nechaus and the many others that Nathan had lost filled Chris with dread.

He reached out and placed a comforting arm on the taller man's shoulder.

"Weren't your fault, Buck. None of us saw it coming."

"You did."

"If I had then I'd never have left those women alone and armed."

"You tried to tell me... and all I could think was what right had you to think you knew more about women than me when you ain't even bedd--?"

Buck looked away and Chris could see that an unhealthy dose of Buck's hatred was aimed inward as Buck blamed himself for what had happened to JD. Chris could only look away in silent despair, having almost believed that Buck had come to terms with his relationship with Vin. He felt Buck's hand on his arm and looked back up at his friend.

"I didn't mean that the way it sounded, Chris. I just prided myself on being the kind of man who knew everything there was to know about women. You tried to warn me they weren't always something a man could put on a pedestal... and I didn't listen 'cause I thought I knew better. And JD's paying from my mistake."

Chris felt some of the despair slip away at the sincerity in Buck's eyes.

"I've left Josiah watching over the prisoners. I didn't rest none too easy last night. Going to see if I can catch an hour or two now."

Chris turned away, knowing he didn't have to ask Buck to come for him if there was any news--good or bad--concerning JD...

****

Chris's thoughts came full circle and he let the heavy curtain fall back into place and turned to the man now struggling to sit up in his bed. He dropped into the chair opposite and related the main events to Vin. Some of his despair must have shown through as Vin rose from the bed and dropped, uncomfortably, to his knees beside him.

"Weren't your fault, Chris. Just like it weren't Buck's fault, nor JD's, nor Casey's--"

"Casey?"

"Yeah, she and JD had a spat before he lit out with you. She wished him ill and now she figures him being hurt is all her fault."

"Yeah... you're right. Weren't nobody's fault except some crazy woman... and I don't mean Casey."

Chris stroked a hand through the curly, shoulder length tresses. Then he leaned down to kiss Vin firmly, sighing at the frustration of not being able to do more than that while his lover was injured.

"You know, Larabee, you sleep like the dead... hardly move an inch. Why don't you use the bed instead of the floor tonight."

Chris looked at his bed longingly, then grinned softly. He nodded and stood up, quickly stripping off his gun belt and the outer layers of his clothing until he was left with only his underwear. He looked back to where Vin was still kneeling beside the chair.

"Aren't you planning on sharing the bed?"

"Yep... just one small problem, Cowboy. I can't get up."

Chris shook his head, chuckling softly as he went to his lover's aid. He helped Vin back to the bed and stretched out beside him, wishing he could hold Vin close to ease away the darkness of despair that seemed to be crowding in upon him. Instead, he contented himself with listening as Vin's breathing slowly deepened into sleep, letting it become his own lullaby as he drifted off too.

****

Vin sat at the back of the court and listened as the Judge set Kate Stokes free. He held his breath as Travis gazed at the wedding ring of a good friend who had been murdered over that tiny piece of gold.

"And Madeline Stokes... you've been found guilty of murder, cold-blooded. Far as I can tell, you have nothing to give this world in return for what you've taken from it. I've never had to say this to a woman, but I sentence you to hang by the neck until dead tomorrow at dawn."

Chris grabbed hold of a shocked Mattie, intending to escort her back to her jail cell until it was time to put a noose around her pretty neck, but Kate had other ideas. Vin pushed to his feet as Kate attacked Chris in an attempt to make him let go of her sister.

"Get off my back!"

Chris tried to shake her loose while still keeping a hold on Mattie. Vin took several more steps forward, once again frustrated at his inability to go to Chris's aid, but Buck reached out to drag Kate off of Chris, holding her securely while Chris marched Mattie from the makeshift court room.

Vin stared after the receding figures. For once, the thought of a hanging didn't turn his stomach though Vin knew he would still prefer to be far away when Mattie took the long drop on that short rope. Only problem was he wouldn't be able to ride for a few days yet so leaving town was not an option.

At least he could hide away until the deed was done. He didn't envy Chris the task of escorting Mattie and Kirkland to the gallows, and then cutting down the bodies after the hanging. He knew Chris took no great pleasure in the task either but accepted it as just one of those things that had to be done.

Once Chris had disappeared from sight, Vin looked back to find the Judge watching him thoughtfully, and once more he wondered if Travis knew more about him and Tascosa than he let on.

Travis looked away as Buck let a distraught Kate run from his courtroom and Vin knew his thoughts had returned to the friend he had lost. He witnessed a moment of despair silently cross the rugged face as Travis placed the gold wedding band into a small envelope before he tucked it into a safe pocket. This was another task he did not envy another; that of ordering the death of a mere slip of a girl as due payment for the murder of another person--a close friend--and then consoling the widow of that friend with such terrible news.

Discovering that the cold-blooded murderer was a girl barely older than Casey had been a shocking revelation for most of them. The exceptions being Josiah, and perhaps, Nathan too. And he wondered at the things they must have witnessed in their lives that they could show so little surprise at what had transpired.

They all knew that Mattie, and even Kate, could kill for that was how they made a living as bounty hunters. However, the notion that such a sweet-looking thing like Mattie could commit the callous murder of an innocent man over a small band of gold had never occurred to most. None of them had any doubts of her guilt though, not after finding the ring hanging around her neck just as Kirkland described, and not after what had happened to JD.

Vin looked out of the open doorway at the looming gallows. It was well into the afternoon, now, and the Judge turned his eyes towards the gallows standing ready outside. Then he turned back to Vin.

"How are your ribs?"

"Sore... but mending slowly."

"Good. Good. You did a brave thing, Vin. Saved Mrs. Breck from being trampled by those horses, and I doubt anyone stopped to say thank you."

"Hell, Judge. Didn't do it for the thanks."

"I know, son. I know." The Judge gave a gentle smile as he pushed up from his seat. "Think I'll take in some air now, then head over to the saloon."

Vin watched as the Judge wandered slowly down the street, and then followed at an equally slow pace, still favoring his ribs.

****

Chris, Buck and the Judge talked together quietly in a darkened corner of the saloon as the evening wore on.

"Mr. Tanner's injuries seem to be distressing him still."

"Well, you know Vin, Judge. He's not one for being dependent on others... he's like a wild bird with a torn wing."

"Hmmm." The Judge nodded in agreement at Buck's explanation.

Buck dredged up a smile but Chris could see that his thoughts were with another injured man. The news on JD from this morning had not been good. Nathan had managed to get the bullet out but JD had lost a lot of blood and there was always the fear of infection setting in. So far, though, he seemed to be holding his own and Chris had a gut feeling that he'd continue to do so. He watched as Buck took a final swallow of his beer and moved over to the bar to get another.

Kate chose that moment to come into the saloon and she headed straight over to Buck. Even though there were quite a few customers present, Chris could hear the exchange quite clearly, and he knew Kate was wasting her time on Buck. He'd rarely seen his friend so full of anger, though in retrospect, he recognized this same inner rage tinged with guilt from when Sarah and Adam were murdered. At the time, Chris had been too full of his own grief, anger and despair to notice Buck's, but he saw it now.

Buck was still blaming himself for what had happened to JD and his next words proved it.

"Kate. I have spent my whole life thinking that women were... everything good that warms the soul. And that got my friend shot."

"We're human, Buck."

"Guess JD is, too. 'Course that bullet in his gut proved that, didn't it?"

Buck stormed out and Chris felt the Judge shift uneasily beside him. He spoke softly, as much to reassure himself as the Judge.

"He's a strong kid. He'll make it."

"Well, I don't know what to think."

Chris had no time respond as Kate came over and stood before their table.

"I want to make a deal for Mattie's life."

"You ain't got nothing to offer."

Chris sneered, amazed that she thought anything she had -- or knew -- would make any difference to the Judge. They had caught the person responsible for murdering his friend, Marcus McNeil, and Travis had sentenced her to hang at dawn. Nothing else mattered.

"How about Del Spivak?"

Chris looked at her in disgust. Del Spivak's days were already numbered for as soon as Vin could get back in the saddle then they'd go hunting for him.

"We'll get him without your help."

"When? Next week? Next month? He could be out of the territory before you get close enough."

The Judge leaned forward. "I'm not letting her go free."

"You don't have to. Send her to prison for the rest of her life just... please... don't hang her."

Chris knew that the idea of hanging a woman didn't sit easy with the Judge though he'd felt duty bound to pass that sentence on Mattie Stokes. Life imprisonment with no reprieve would be hard on any person, especially a woman, and Chris could see the Judge weighing that up against the chance to take down Del Spivak too.

"What have you got in mind?"

Chris leaned back as the Judge made his decision, lips pursed in annoyance as he waited to hear Kate's plan. Soon after, he left to put everything in place. He found Buck where he expected to find him, seated by JD's bed, and he pretended not to notice the tears of guilt glistening in his friend's eyes. Casey took Buck's place, having only left JD's side earlier to give Buck some time with his friend alone.

Nathan followed them back down into the street and then went to fetch Josiah from the jail house. Chris left Buck to pull Ezra out of his latest poker game while he went to his boarding room to wake up Vin, knowing that all of them would be needed to bring down Spivak and his gang.

He opened the door silently and slipped into the room, calling softly.

"Vin?"

"Yeah?"

"Kate Stokes is gonna lead Spivak and his men into an ambush outside the livery. Gonna need you and that gun of yours."

Chris could see a glint of white teeth in the darkness of the room.

"Sounds like fun."

He helped Vin pull on his shirt and the sling, and then they hurried down to the livery to take up position. Buck had pulled an open wagon close and slipped his tall frame beneath the canvas covering its contents. Josiah and Vin slipped into the dark shadows near by while Chris climbed the gallows' steps and lay flat on the platform, his dark clothing blending seamlessly into the darkness of the night.

Ezra and Nathan took up position inside the livery... and then they waited.

More than ten minutes passed before the first whispering voices drifted on the slight breeze

"Wait outside, boys."

Chris heard the creak of the livery door as one or more of the men entered. Ezra and Nathan's voices seemed overly loud in the silence of the night but it was the signal he had been waiting for. He stood up, a flicker of movement coming from below as Buck made his presence known too.

"You're surrounded, boys. Drop it! Get them up!"

The men looked around in panic, seeing first Chris and Buck, and then Josiah and a one-handed Vin holding a mean looking sawn-off Winchester carbine. They looked back to the livery in time to see the rest of their gang sent out at gun point with Ezra and Nathan right behind them.

The ambush had gone smoothly without a single shot fire... but there was only one problem. Del Spivak was not among the men they'd captured.

"Buck! Josiah!"

The two men didn't need to know what Chris wanted of them. They raced off towards the jail, picking up speed at the sound of a single gunshot coming from within.

By the time Chris and the others arrived with Spivak's men--ready to put them all into a jail cell to await the Judge's sentencing--Del Spivak was dead; felled by a bullet from Buck's gun. Chris looked to where Josiah and Kate knelt over Mattie Stokes, knowing she was dead too. He turned away from the despair in Kate's tear-filled eyes having no sympathy for the dead girl but feeling a small measure of grief for the living. No matter her faults, Kate had loved her sister.

Chris left Buck, Ezra and Nathan to ensure their prisoners were locked up and went back outside to where Vin was waiting. He sat down on the bench just outside and lit a cheroot, inhaling deeply and letting out the smoke slowly as Vin sat down beside him. The sound of running feet broke through the gloomy air surrounding them and Chris stood up when he saw it was Casey.

A moment's fear was dispersed by the brilliant smile on her face.

"He's awake. JD's awake."

Chris grinned, feeling a great weight rise from his shoulders as Buck came charging out of the jail house with Nathan in tow. As he watched them fly along the street with Casey trying to keep up with their long strides, the first light of dawn streaked across the sky. For a moment the gallows stood in silhouette but Chris knew they wouldn't be needed today--not even for Kirkland who would be granted a stay of execution for one more day so all the gang could be hanged together. Tomorrow, though, would be a different matter and Chris knew it would not be one that he, or Vin, would look forward to...

****

Another log crackled and spat, bringing Chris back from memories of the events three weeks ago to find satisfied eyes, still glazed over with passion, staring up at him. Vin was leaning up on one elbow, chin tucked into the palm of his hand as he grinned inanely. Even in the firelight Chris could make out the fading bruises on his left-hand side from where he'd cracked a few ribs but they no longer bothered Vin so much. Least, they hadn't bothered him noticeably tonight.

The grin faltered. "You okay, Chris?"

"Yeah. Just thinking--"

The lazy grin returned full force. "Don't recall giving you permission to think, Larabee."

"Who said I needed permission from a scrawny-assed bounty hunter--"

"Scrawny? Ain't what you were saying when you was plowing that ass just now!"

Chris felt his lips twitch with a smile at the image Vin's words brought back to mind. His hand reached out to stroke one gentle mound of firm flesh but Vin batted it away.

"Got something to show you."

"Reckon I seen all you got already, Vin."

Vin gave him a mock glare and reached over to the saddlebag he'd placed close by. He drew out a copy of Mary's newspaper and Chris frowned as he saw the front illustration.

"Hell, Vin. Don't need to read all about it. I was there, remember."

"Huh?" Vin glanced at the front of the paper and grinned mischievously. "That ain't it."

"Well, there ain't anything else worth mentioning in her damned paper most days, except people putting their noses into other people's business."

"Here."

Vin had gone straight to an inner page with its corner turned down. He handed the paper to Chris who took it with some suspicion.

"Poetry Competition?"

Vin's name leaped out at him and he read the words silently, stared hard at Vin, and then read the words aloud.

"I stare across that solitary plain, each and every dawn. Always searching for a hero's heart. A stranger bleeds... his hope lays near death. Clutching a tangled wreath... to crown a hero's heart." Chris stared hard at Vin. "You wrote this?"

He saw Vin lick his lips nervously before he nodded. "You're my hero's heart, Chris."

Chris didn't know what to say so he let his actions speak for him as he lay the paper to one side and reached out to Vin. He crawled over as Vin moved away from his hand to lay on his back. Firelight glistened off the beads of sweat covering the well-muscled chest and Chris trailed a finger through the sparse, sweat-darkened curls of hair. He traced a path gently around the largest of the fading bruises that encircled Vin's ribs on the left, then leaned over, tongue lapping at the already tightened nipple.

A soft groan from Vin brought a smile to Chris's lips, and he caught the tight bud between his teeth; his tongue still flicking across the sensitive tip. Hands caught in his hair, twining the strands around grasping fingers, and holding him firmly in place. But Chris pulled away, sitting back on his knees as he studied the fire-lit body stretched out before him. He watched as Vin's pleasure-softened sex twitched before slowly curving upwards as Vin's renewed desire fired his loins.

Chris straddled the strong legs and leaned over to lap gently at the slowly hardening flesh, feeling Vin buck beneath him at the fresh stimuli. His tongue teased into the slit, tasting the bittersweet juices of Vin's earlier release, his senses filling with the heady scent of Vin's arousal.

He swallowed the head, with one hand rolling the furred sac as he sucked and licked at the sensitive tip, while the other hand worked the long, hard shaft until Vin was hard and needing.

Pulling back, Chris stared down with an overwhelming sense of power at the heaving chest and quivering muscles as Vin gasped in want. Blue eyes had turned black with desire for him, the strong fingers flexing spasmodically as hands grasped at the blanket lying beneath him, itching to reach up and take what he wanted.

Chris shuffled forward, rising higher as he held Vin's hard shaft in a firm grip, smearing the fresh evidence of Vin's desire over the smooth head. He paused for a moment, poised above Vin, and then sank down onto the hard flesh, taking Vin deep inside, and gasping as the thick shaft filled him.

He could feel Vin's hands upon his thighs, thumbs smoothing over the flesh of sensitive inner thigh and he wriggled, wanting all of Vin inside him. When he rose up he felt those fingers move beneath his ass, stroking the stretched muscle where Vin's flesh impaled his own. He dropped down hard, trapping those fingers between their bodies momentarily and gasping anew as Vin's shaft rubbed across that special place deep inside. Vin freed his hands on the next upward stroke, one curling round Chris's hard and needy shaft, while the other squeezed his swollen sac, rolling the contents gently.

He rode Vin slowly, savoring the building sensations that set every nerve ending tingling with anticipation; his innards melting into liquid fire as he met the upward thrust of Vin's body with a downward stroke of his own. Chris cried out as the sensations overloaded his body, triggering his release, his seed splattering over Vin's belly and chest. Clenching muscles tightened around Vin's impaling flesh and he rode out Vin's climax, falling forward until poised above Vin on trembling arms.

He felt a droplet of sweat trickle down the length of his nose, tickling as it remained poised for moment at the tip before falling upon Vin's kiss-swollen lips. Vin licked at the salty droplet, opening his eyes and grinning up at his lover.

"Damn, you're one fine ride, Larabee."

"And you're one fine poet, Vin."

He smiled down at Vin, lowering himself on quivering arms to kiss him softly on the lips before carefully climbing off. He dropped down next to Vin, still breathing hard as the last sensations of their joint pleasure rippled through him. The gentle breeze, though warm at this time of year, seemed cold against his sweat and semen soaked body, and he shivered. Looking across, he realized that Vin looked no cleaner than him, and he chuckled softly.

"Reckon it's time for that skinny dipping."

"Reckon you're right."

As they raced to the pond and dived beneath its still warm surface into the cooler depths, Chris reflected on the man who swam beside him. He'd spent many years caught up in silent despair for a past that had slipped through his fingers, never believing he could ever have that happiness back again. And then Vin came striding into his life with an old rifle and a knowing smile, proving that lightning could strike twice in the same place.

He knew it would be so easy to fall back into that despair. A stray bullet, a charging horse, a hangman's noose--or the condemnation of another for the relationship they shared--could tear away from him all that he had recovered with Vin.

Was it worth the risk?

His heart said _yes_ even as fear of what the future might bring filled his head. But as he broke the surface of the water, flicking short strands of hair from his face, he caught sight of Vin. His heart contracted in pure pleasure as Vin was bathed, momentarily, in silvery moonlight before ducking back beneath the dark surface of the pond.

Chris startled as warm hands pulled him under. He surfaced, spluttering, only to hear Vin's gentle laughter beside him, and all fear of the future went spirally back down into the dark depths of his mind as he reached out for his lover once more.

THE END


End file.
